“He’s very happy and committed so I find it difficult to talk about things I don’t know too much about.
“I can only talk about Sandro as the person and player, and his mindset here and now. Having discussed things with him yesterday, he’s absolutely fine.”
Tonali made it clear he was “happy” at Newcastle, in November, but said it was “difficult” to think long-term.
The Italian initially signed a five-year deal when he joined Newcastle from AC Milan in 2023.
Tonali was keen to repay the faith Newcastle showed in him during his betting ban – when he was unable to play for 10 months – and went on to sign a new one-year deal.
Newcastle also have an option to trigger an additional 12-month extension to 2030, which puts the club in a strong position.
Although Newcastle lost Alexander Isak to Liverpool last summer, Howe feels the club are now better placed to “navigate those waters in a much calmer, clearer way” following the arrival of sporting director Ross Wilson.
“Our best players are always going to attract glances from other clubs,” he added. “That’s just the reality of football.
“We want to keep the group together. We want to keep progressing and, of course, Sandro plays a part in that in trying to hit his best levels and play as well as he can to help the team.
“All encompassed, I don’t see an issue but I’m not in control of everything.”
